Flint holder



May 24, 1949. v l. F'L ORMAN 1 2,471,206,

FLINT HOLDER Filed March 1, 19 46 I INVENTOR [RV/N6 Ho/mm Patented May 24, 1949 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE FLINT HOLDER Irving Florman, New York, N. Y.

Application March 1, 1946, Serial No. 651,353

2 Claims. 1

The invention relates to pyrophoric lighters and especially to flint holders for such lighters.

Heretofore, flint holders for pyrophoric lighters have ordinarily relied on a threaded member for holding the flint in a flint tube. Other types of structure have been proposed, but these have been complex in manufacture and operation. Furthermore, flint tubes are usually formed by die-casting and drilling, and thus are expensive to manufacture.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a flint holder which is easy and inexpensive to make, and which is simple in operation. In one aspect of the invention, the provision of a flint holder, which can be stamped out of metal and thus requires no die-casting or drilling, is important. Another aspect of the invention is the provision of a simple flint holder which does not utilize a screw for holding the flint or flint spring in position.

Another object of the invention is to produce a flint holder which can be used beneath a hinged cover, in a lighter having a flint wheel mounted on a vertical axis, which will permit ready removal and replacement of the flint. More particularly, the holder is so devised as to permit the replacement of the flint by a simple motion of the parts, without the necessity of unscrewing and replacing a screw or any other complex procedure.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation the top part of a cigarette lighter embodying my flint holder.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the opposite side from Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4-4 of Fi 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

The lighter, which is shown merely by way of example, has a body 2 with a top wall 4 from which extends a wick 6. A cover 8 is hinged on the body at In in any suitable manner. The flint wheel I2 is mounted on a shaft [4 and can be turned by a roller [6.

The flint holder, which forms the subject matter of the invention, is, in the particular form shown, pivoted so as to swing around the flint wheel to move into a suitable position for removal and replacement of the flint. In the broader aspects of the invention, however, it may be arranged in any other suitabl manner. v

The body of the flint holder is composed of a. tube, which in th particular embodiment shown square in cross-section. This tube is formed of a single piece of sheet metal stamped and bent to the proper shape. The tube has side walls 58, iii, a top wall 22 and a bottom wall 24. The bottom wall extends outwardly beyond the side wall 18 and has an upwardly turned flange portion 25 parallel to but spaced slightly from the side wall. This flange does not extend the full iength of the tube. Its upper edge 28 tapers downwardly away from the forward or flintholding end of the tube towards the rear end. The front ends of the top and bottom walls 22, 24 extend beyond the main body of the tube to form ears 3B which engage th shaft I l above and below the flint wheel l2.

The other part of the flint holder is the closure member, which. is also formed, in the main, of a single piece of sheet metal. This consists of an end piece 332 and a side piece 34 at right angles to it. End piece 32 is of such size as to close the rear end of the flint tube, and has an upward extension 36 to permit it to be grasped by the finger. Side piece 34 is arranged to fit into the space between side wall it and flange 26, and has at its front end an outwardly turned flange 38 which lie-s in front of the front edge of flange 26.

The end piece 32 has a pin 4i! riveted therein, this pin extending into the interior of the flint tube. A coil spring 42 is mounted on this pin, preferably with its coils arranged in a shallow spiral groove on the pin. The spring at its free end engages the flint M and presses it against the flint wheel.

Rotation of the flint holder in a clockwise direction in Fig. 2 is limited by a stop 46 carried on the top wall 4 of the lighter. The holder in normal position rests on a button 48 carried by the top wall, this preventing accidenta1 displacement but permitting the holder to be swung counterclockwise when pushed by the finger so that flints can be removed and replaced.

The parts normally occupy the position shown in the drawings. In order to replace a flint, the holder is first swung counterclockwise, if it is used with a lighter having a hinged cover such as is shown herein. Then the finger piece 36 is grasped, and the forward end of side piece 34 is tilted upward until flange 38 clears the forward end of flange 25. Then the whole part is withdrawn and the spring 42 is pulled out of the tube. The flint can now be removed and a new one inserted. The spring is then pushed into the tube and the closure member is slid forward until the flange 38 is in front of flange 29, whereupon side piece 34 is tilted down into the space between side wall [8 and flange 26. The parts are then secured in position for further operation of the lighter.

This structure has a number of advantages. The spring is secured on the closure member and is not likely to be dropped and lost when the flint is changed. The spring acts both to press the flint against the flint wheel and to hold flange 38 against the front edge of flange 26 so as to prevent accidental displacement of the closure member. The whole device is formed almost entirely of stamped sheet metal parts, so that no die-casting or thread cutting is required. Thus the arrangement is inexpensive to make, yet is simple and effective in operation.

While I have described herein one embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself thereby except within the scope of the claims hereto or hereinafter appended.

I claim:

1. A flint holder for pyrophoric lighters comprising a piece of sheet metal bent to form a tube square in cross-section, one wall of said tube extending laterally beyond the adjacent wall and being bent upwardly parallel to such adjacent wall but spaced therefrom to form a space therebetween, and a closure part comprising a piece of sheet metal bent to form a first portion adapted to close one end of the tube and a second portion at right angles thereto adapted to fit into said space, said second portion having an outwardly turned flange at its free end arranged to engage the front edge of the upwardly bent part of the tube to hold said closure part in position to close the end of the tube.

2. In a flint holder as claimed in claim 1, the free edge of said upwardly bent part tapering downwardly towards the rear.

IRVING FLORMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,181,817 Wolf May 2, 1916 1,718,902 Greene June 25, 1929 1,764,897 Segal June 17, 1930 2,168,732 Dubsky Aug. 8, 1939 2,258,085 Bolle Oct. 7, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 56,374 Austria July 15, 1912 83,102 Austria Mar. 10, 1921 545,563 Great Britain June 2, 1942 

